6 Feb 12
Follow-up comments, from a friend in the Federal System:
“I am currently at our Training Academy for an in-service Class. While reading my orders, I was flabbergasted by the following statement, in print (comments are mine):
‘Visiting special agents and sworn taskforce-assigned officers, while attending training, are now authorized to be armed within the Training Academy, and adjacent properties.
Weapons must remain on their person, and are not to be left unattended in dormitories. (Duh!)
Weapons must be appropriately secured prior to tactical/hands-on training. (Duh!)
Staff instructors, are responsible for deciding when training scenarios require students to be unarmed. (… as if I trust those who rarely carried guns, even when they were in the field!)’
This is the first time, so long as I can remember, we lowly, plain-vanilla Special Agents have been ‘officially’ permitted to be armed on our hallowed Academy grounds. It definitely represents a step in the right direction.
Unhappily, orders continue with this statement:
‘State and local police officers (unwashed peons that they are!)… are not permitted to carry weapons.’
Seems sworn police officers cannot be trusted. They ought to be thankful we even allow them to breath the same air!
Of course, few of us have ever paid attention to any Academy policy, even prior to the foregoing.
We’re either Brothers, or we’re not!”
Comment:
Where there is trust, no proof is necessary. Where there is none, no proof is possible. And, where there is personal honor, mutual respect, and individual responsibility, “rules” are unnecessary. Where there is none, “rules,” no matter their number, are meaningless and unenforceable!
/John